Apparatus for making strand fabric



w. JAMESON.

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l APPUCAT 0N l 3.198. 1,327,826, Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

, residiu WILLIAM JAMESON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISKE RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE MASSACHUSETTS.

FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF APPARATUS FOR MAKING STRAND FABRIC. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application led December 28, 1.918. Serial No. 268,883.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM Jameson, a citizen of the United States of America, at Springfield, in the county of Hamp en and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulY Im rovements in Apparatus for Making Sirand Fabric, of which the following is the specication.

My invent-ion relates to the manufacture of rubber sheets with strands embedded therein, and more particularly to apparatus for making strand fabric. 1

In the making of pneumatic tire Acasings commonly called tires there is fre uently used material comprisin a sheet `o tacky unr'lllcanized rubber wit parallel strands,

nerally in the character of cords, emgdded therein, the rubber holding the strands together to form a sheet of what inav be termed strand fabric. I have devised an apparatus for the manufacture of such .material. and material of similar character.

One object of my invention is to provide 'an apparatus of the character indicated by which sheets with strands embedded therein may be produced rapidly and inexpensively. 4

Another ob'ect is to provide an apparatus for the manu acture of material of the character indicated, in which material successive strands are embedded in opposite sides of the sheet.

To Athese ends, -and also `to improve generallv upon,i devices of the character indicate my lnvention y'consists in the fo1- v lowing matters hereinafter described and claimed.

. Without restricting my invention thereto, I describe-'it by reference to the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings; and in these dran-'iny Figure 1 is a. central elevational section of an apparatus embodying 'my invention, the strand suppliers not, however, being shown in section, but merely in side elevat'lon; and the depths of the strand-grooves in the pressing roller being exaggerated as com pared to Fig. t, and the strands, as fed'by such roller. upstanding from the sheet, as compared t-o Fig. 3. the clearer to illustrate the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with the strands broken out,

and reels (with the major portions of their supports omitted) moved toward the calendar machine, to save space, and the driving means, the adjustable mounting for the rolls, liner drum, and the drum for the product, all being omitted to avoid confusion;

Eig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the fabric produced by the illustrated apparatus when the parts are arranged for maximum embedment Fig. 4 is a fragmental view of a grooved roller and a few of the strands; andk Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the mounting of the calendar rolls.

In general, the illustrated apparatus comprises three superposed calendar Vrolls 1, 2, and 3, these rolls being positively driven, at such relative surface speeds 'as desired. Arrange-d, each at a respective side of the lower roll 1, are strand-gulding means exempliied by rotatable elements, or rollers, 4 and 5, each arranged to receive a series of strands, generally cords, as 6 and 7 from suppl means, as the series of spools 8 and 9. Eac of these rollers is provided on its surface with a series of strand-guiding grooves, as 10 and 11, and the grooves of one roller are staggered with respect to those of the other.

In operation: the stock S of unvulcanized rubber is fed between the rolls 2 and 3 and calendered into a. sheet. This sheet is then carried, by the roll '2, between the rolls 1 and 2, and then wound upon the drum 12. The strands 7 are fed to the lowergside of the sheet to lie between the sheet and the surface of the roll 1. Here they areembedded in the sheet by the pressure between rolls 1 and 2, the exact amount of the embedrnent depending upon the amount of the pressure,

4which may be regulated by any suitable adpsting means, as hereinafter described. referably. and also as hereinafter described, there are provided means for adjusting the pressure between the rolls 2 and 3 to regulate the thickness of the sheet. The strands 6 are led to the upper surface of the sheet and embedded therein to t-he extent desired. With the drum l2, roll 1 and roller Je in relative positions substantially as shown, a certain embedment of the strands 6 will of course occur. But. preferably, and as shown. the loller i is arranged to directly coperate with the roll 1 to press the stock and strands (i therebetween, and so embed the strands 6. Again, the roller 1coperating with the roll 1 acts to supplement the embedding action of the rolls 1 and '2 on the strands The amount of the pressure between the rolls l and l may be regulated in any desired manner. as by mounting the roller i, with an adj ustable-journal-block construction'l, for adjustment to and from the roll 1` Jfor each journal.

It will be seen that the illustrated apparatus provides means for embedding strands in rubber in staggered relation, for adjusting the thickness ofthe sheet, and for adjusting the amount of embedment of either or both series of strands.

Although I have exemplified the guiding means for the strands by the grooved lrollers -l and 5, rather than by reeds or the like, it will be understood that I do not restrict my invention to the use of grooved rollers as a. guiding means.

It will also be understood that when it is desired that the roller L shall act, not only as a pressure roll to press the rubber about the strands 7, but also as a. means for pressing the strands 6 into the sheet, the lgrooves 10 are desirably, and as illustrated (Fig. l) of any desiled less depth than the diameter of the strands.

As to details: The machine comprises the upright frame members 1-1, 14, in which are rotatably mounted the rolls 1, 2, and 3. the roll 1 being drivenrby the pullev 15 and the rolls 2 and 3 receiving motion rom the roll 1 through the gears 16, 17, and 1S. The frame members also rotatably support the rollers 1 and 5 and the drum 19 for the sup ly of liner 20 to lie between the layers of t e finished fabric wound upon the drum 12. The drum 12 may be driven at decreasing speed as the diameter of thefabric increases, in any suitable manner, as by the pulley 21. The standards 22, 22, and 23, 23 at each side of the roller-carrying frames 14,

14 rotatably support the s )ools 8 and 9.

As indicated in Fig. 5, tie means for moving the rolls 1 and 2 relatively toward and from each other, andthe means for similarly relatively moving the roils 2 and 3, may comprise a 'system of adjustable journal blocks (duplicated at each side of the ma chine) for carrying the rolls 1, 2, and 3. The block 24, carrying the roll 1, the block 25, carrying the roll 2, and the block 26, carrying the roll 3, are vertically slidably mounted in the frame 14. Between the blocks 2l and 25 and between the blocks 25 and 26 is inserted a vertically-slidable and sideWse-adjustable wedge block 27 or 28, each with its upper and lower surfaces inclined toward each other. The blocks 24, 25 and 26 have their surfaces in contact with the blocks 27 and 28 inclined coperatively with the surfaces of the blocks 27 and 28. These latter blocks can be adjusted sidewise by screws 29. By moving the block 2T to the right (Fig. 5) the distance between the rolls 1 and -2 will be increased and vice versa, and similarl with the block 28 and rolls 2 and 3.` Di erent diameter gears, to compensate for the difference in distance between the rolls may of course, be substituted as desired. Also the surface speeds of the rolls may be determined as desired. As illustrated, roll 2 has a hi her surface speed than roll 3, thereby to rene the stock, and also has a higher surface 'speed than Eroll 1, thereby to work the stock somewhat into the strands. But, any other feasible speed relation, as equal speeds may be resorted to by merely changing the gears, as will be understood.

It will be seen that 1 have rovided an apparatus for the production o sheets with stra-nds embedded therein, and more articularly for the roduction of cord fa ric with a set of cor s embedded in each face, with the cords of one set staggered with res ect to those of the other set, and with which production can be carried on expeditiously and satisfactorily.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1.' In an ap aratus of the character indicated, in com ination, a series o coperatng rolls, certain of said rolls being arranged to produce a sheet and certain of said rolls being arranged to receive and pass said sheet therebetween, means to feed a series of strands between one of said latter named rolls and said sheet, means to feed a second series of strands to the other side of said sheet in staggered relation to the first named strands, and means to vary the pressure between said sheet-producing rolls; substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character indicated, in combination, a. pair of coperating pressure rolls arranged to receive a sheet of material therebetween, means to feed a series of strands between one of said rolls 'and one side of said sheet and means coperating with suchroll to press a second series of strands into t-he other side of said sheet in staggered relation to the first named strands; substantially as described.

3. In an ap aratus of the character indicated, in com ination, a pair of coperating pressure rolls arranged to receive a sheet of material therebetween, means to feed a series of strands between one of said rolls and one side of said sheet, means cooperating wit-h such roll tol press a. second series of strands into the other side of said sheet in staggered relation to the first named strands, and means for varying the pressure exerted by said last named means; substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character-indicated, in combination, three contiguous and enacting p ressune rols, one contiguous pair of said rolls being adapted to rol stock into sheet form and the other contiguous pair being adapted to press the so-formed sheet therebetween, means to feed a series of strands between said second named pair of rolls and to -one side of said sheet, and a roller arranged to feed another series of strands to the other side of said sheet, said 10 staggered relation to the strands of the first 15 said series; substantially as described.

VILLIAM JAMESON. 

